News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

Ruling allows biofuel mix in jet engines, paving way for industry growth in Washington Puget Sound Business Journal
Biofuel may be used to power commercial flights. Rules for the refining of jet biofuel were released July 1 by ASTM International creating a significant opening for the renewable fuels industry in Washington state. Previously, air carriers were disallowed from using biofuel for passenger flights, although several demonstration flights show its potential.

Mayor and Council President announce package to support job creation in Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn blog
Mayor McGinn and Council President Conlin announced a regulatory reform package formed by a panel of developers, neighborhood activists, design professionals, labor leaders, and environmentalists to reduce regulatory burdens that hinder job creation. More information can be found here.

ABC News films ‘Made in America’ segment in Seattle Queen Anne View
ABC World News is filming a segment in Seattle as part of their ongoing series called “Made in America,” which airs weeknights at 5:30 p.m., on Channel 4. The series reports on manufactured goods made in the US. Some stores and places highlighted will be clothing stores that sell merchandise made only locally and a bike clothing store that sells apparel made only in Seattle.

Seattle prides itself on its earth-friendliness, from its high recycling rate and abundance of clean technology companies to its forward-looking Climate Protection Initiative. Soon, one Seattle company may be putting the city on the map in yet another green arena: clean transportation through vegetable-based biodiesel.

Yale Wong’s General Biodiesel, Inc., a Seattle-based renewable energy startup, collects scraps and used vegetable oil from restaurants across Washington state and renders the oil to create clean-burning biofuel. In a recent feature in the Northwest Asian Weekly, Wong calls his biofuel business “double green,” noting that the company takes what would otherwise be poured down drains or dumped into landfills and converts it into a clean, green final product.

Seattle’s Fleets and Facilities Department and the Department of Parks and Recreation are currently looking into the possibility of using vegetable-based biodiesel like Wong’s to power the city’s fleet of vehicles.